Alzheimer’s is defined as memory loss and confusion.
No cure exists, but medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms.
As a fiction author, I ask: WHAT IF…?
WHAT IF there was a new definition of Alzheimer’s and its treatment?
WHAT IF we could view this terrible neurodegenerative disease in a new light, with the idea of going back to a collective mind shared with nature and God, connecting everything with spirit?
In my novel, BETWEEN DARKNESS AND DAWN, this is demonstrated through a character named Adam, who creates life-sized clay sculptures based on memories of his loved ones, and whose decline is palliated by living in nature and being overseen by a compassionate nurse.
Does my story answer the WHAT IF…? in a way that is satisfying and not contrived?
The only way I know for sure is through my readers, one of whom wrote:
“I found the story of the fellow camper, a man suffering with Alzheimer’s, to be particularly touching and eye-opening in its alternative view of this disease.”
Which is the response from readers I hope to inspire in book two of my “Enter the Between” visionary fiction series: an opening to perspectives they’ve never considered before.
Has a work of fiction opened your mind to new perspectives? If so, it has done its job.
As always, thanks for stopping by,
fascinating, margaret! so many in betweens to explore, but loss of memory is such an important one! definitely on my TBR when I finish writing my current book. xo
Thanks, Rea. Can’t wait to read your next book. You know, how much I enjoyed all the ones you’ve written so far.